Eclipse
by Mister Pineapple
Summary: (AU) Naruto is raised in the wild, becoming the living ghost of Konoha.
1. The Sunshine Boy

Choking tendrils of smoke wafted around the battleground, thicker in some areas, vapid  
  
in others, and settling in just that way that would make you half think you needed glasses.   
  
Amidst the ruins of buildings and people, one man stood, panting deeply, heavy with regret.  
  
He knew he wouldn't last long, outward appearances were of a perfectly strong and  
  
healthy man, but internally, he was beyond salvageable. But no matter how tired, how destroyed,  
  
no matter how achingly he wanted to call it quits and slip into the quiet slumber of death, he still  
  
owed it to his people that he at least keep what's left of them safe.  
  
His vision wavering, he held out a small bundle to the giant beast.  
  
"I give him to you... now please... leave my people..."   
  
The weight on his hands lifted; the terms accepted. The dull thuds and menacing aura  
  
retreated, and as the Yondaime slipped away, the faint giggles of the infant son he had given up  
  
reached his ears.  
  
(Maybe... I made the right decision after all...)   
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Five years later  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Maybe it all started when rumors circulated around the village of sightings of a little  
  
blonde boy who wore no clothes and seemingly disappeared whenever well-meaning shinobi  
  
tried going after him.  
  
At first, many people thought the child was just a free-spirited kid below the Academy  
  
level and with very, very lax parents, but no, all heads were accounted for during a particular  
  
sighting, and witnesses claimed none of the local hair colours matched his.  
  
Essentially, he was just a Wild Boy.  
  
Mostly he was seen outside the vast gates of Konoha, and mostly by Jounins and Anbu on  
  
their way to and from missions, and just barely out of the corner of their eye. If not for his sunny  
  
blonde hair that caught the light like gold and shined just as brightly, he'd probably have  
  
continued unnoticed. Villagers started calling him "The Sunshine Boy" for lack of a better name.  
  
At first, the ones who chanced upon him tried going after him solely to bring him into the  
  
village and find out why on earth he was living outside and why oh why he had no clothes. But  
  
he'd always, ALWAYS manage to slip away from them, and for awhile it was speculated among  
  
the villagers that he was a ghost, a shadow from the past. However, this was soon dispelled  
  
when two up-and-coming ninjas, Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai, derived a game to play with  
  
him.   
  
At first they had been assigned the duty of capturing The Sunshine Boy, but after a day of  
  
fruitless chasing, just when they were about to give him up as hopeless, he appeared before them,  
  
enticing them into a game of cat and mouse. As skilled as they were, they could not keep up with  
  
the energetic lad.   
  
Word spread about how the two notable ninjas could not keep up with the speed of a  
  
single kid, and soon other ninjas played the game. It was thought that a shinobi could really  
  
prove their nettle if they could catch him, or even get to him.   
  
To his enjoyment, and their dismay, he always got away, sometimes after sneaking  
  
goodies out of their packs.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
For as long as his rumors persisted, it was always thought that The Sunshine Boy lived  
  
outside the village, existing only in the boundless forest that kept the village hidden. To think  
  
that he ever lurked around their homes was simply never considered, until Yamanaka Ino came to  
  
class with a flushed face.  
  
Apparently, as she was tending to some flowers outside her family's shop, she caught The  
  
Sunshine Boy using a pot filled with Gardenias as a bathroom.  
  
As she stood there in shock, he turned and waved with one hand, smiling a wide animal  
  
smile with scrunched eyes, all the while still watering the flowers. Dumbstruck, she waved back,  
  
then made her way to school. It wasn't until she had made it through her classroom door that it  
  
all caught up to her, and she responded by turning beet red.  
  
As it was still early and the shopping district that the Yamanaka Flower Shop was located  
  
in had not yet opened, no one else had witnessed the outrageous act. It was noted, however, that  
  
the Gardenias grew very well that year.  
  
Upon hearing this, people started paying closer attention to those little things they'd seen  
  
from the corners of their eyes, no longer dismissing them as figments of their imagination.   
  
Sometimes, it was him. Other times it was nothing but the hope of seeing him.  
  
The Sunshine Boy was the talk of the village, but he never really became a raging wildfire  
  
of stories, but he was more of the underground news. His sightings were more of the  
  
underground gossip, useful for people who never normally received attention, or the subject  
  
whenever nothing else was very exciting.  
  
Like the time he was spotted walking on top of a nearby lake, only to dive into the  
  
deepest part and emerge with a huge trout dangling out of his mouth.  
  
Like the time he sat next to a peeping Jiraiya for a full ten minutes before the Sennin  
  
noticed him and the bathing ladies noticed Jiraiya.  
  
Like the time he was seen by Aburame Shino eating honey out of a wild hive, and when  
  
the bees attacked him they were repelled by a burst of chakra. (Shino was extremely grateful  
  
none were hurt and resolved to leave snacks out for the boy, to keep him from stealing from  
  
bugs.)  
  
Like the time Haruno Sakura's father tried leaving clothes out for him, and the next time  
  
he was spotted he had a pair or underwear on his head.  
  
Although he was a great topic of conversation among the villagers, there was one house  
  
that refused to hear of the Sunshine Boys's feats.  
  
The Uchiha Clan was old and stable, and had no interest in the tales of an insane boy.   
  
They had a new generation to raise, and two boys were vying for the position of head of clan.   
  
Unlike the Hyugas, who believed in first come, first serve; the Uchihas believed strength and  
  
endurance were the key to a strong clan. While Uchiha Itachi was a confirmed genius, his  
  
younger brother Sasuke was no slacker either. A little slower in coming, but if all signs point  
  
correctly, Sasuke would someday give Itachi a run for his money.  
  
He was always on track and serious, the type you'd call "level-headed". He considered  
  
himself very much so, even though he was young and always pestering his brother. So when  
  
things got out of hand, he his first thoughts were that he, Uchiha Sasuke, and not the rest of the  
  
world, was finally losing it.  
  
He liked to pretend he had no interest in anything but becoming worthy of his clan's name,  
  
but really, he was just a kid, and just as interested in the stories of The Sunshine Boy as anybody  
  
else his age. He never grilled any witnesses for information, they were all willing and eager to tell  
  
their tale to anyone listening, and all he needed to do was cock his ears in the right direction to  
  
hear. Such an avid listener was he that he quickly knew the stories as well as the people telling  
  
them.  
  
His rational side told him he was a disgrace, but deep inside... he wished he could meet the  
  
wild child, maybe even live as carefree too. He wasn't too keen on the naked part though.  
  
It was on one of those particular days were the sun was bright and cheerful, but the wind  
  
was a bit too cool, that Sasuke was in his backyard practicing with his kunais.  
  
His father was on a mission, his brother gone too, and his mother was either running  
  
errands or having a luncheon. No one was home save for him, so he used his time trying to hone  
  
his lackluster skills with projectiles.  
  
It had been awhile since he had truly concentrated on training without having The  
  
Sunshine Boy on the back of his mind, so when he focused, he really focused.  
  
Which explained why he nearly jumped out of his skin a face popped out of the bushes  
  
right next to where his blade had struck.  
  
His first thought was that either the ever annoying Haruno or Yamanaka had discovered  
  
his address and wanted to further torment him. Then he grew angry with himself by showing his  
  
surprise.  
  
The he realized exactly who he was looking at.  
  
Dazzling yellow hair... easy grin... scrunched eyes... obviously naked...  
  
It seemed Uchiha Sasuke at long last was finally meeting the figure of his interest.  
  
  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Hellooooooooooooooo- party people! I'm in an extremely good mood today. And why is  
  
that, you ask? Well, there's no school right now, duh-! Plus I've learned I'm getting a nice  
  
college scholarship next year. No worries for me!  
  
So enjoy your day, week, month, and life, and remember Mr. Pineapple loves you. 


	2. The Funniest Kid

eclipse n : one celestial body obscures another [syn:   
  
1. occultation] v 1: exceed in importance; outweigh; "This problem overshadows our lives right  
  
now" [syn: overshadow] 2: cause an eclipse of (a celestial body) by intervention; "The Sun  
  
eclipses the moon today"; "Planets and stars often are occulted by other celestial bodies" [syn:  
  
occult] 3: cause an eclipse of; of celestial bodies; "The moon eclipsed the sun"   
  
So sayeth the Fanfiction.net Dictionary.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Last time, on Eclipse:  
  
"Dammit, Naruto! Not only did you wreck the drug bust, but you arrested Mendoza!"  
  
"I'm telling ya, chief, Mendoza is down with the Seeves Gang!"  
  
Uchiha slammed his fist down on the scarred top of his battered old desk, and the two looked  
  
each other in the eye.  
  
"Uzumaki, I'm telling you, we can't do anything without evidence!"  
  
Uzumaki stood, towering over the sitting Uchiha.  
  
"You want evidence? I'll get you evidence."  
  
(Just kidding, ha ha ha) :)  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Really, last time:  
  
Dazzling yellow hair... easy grin... scrunched eyes... obviously naked...  
  
It seemed Uchiha Sasuke at long last was finally meeting the figure of his interest.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
  
  
  
  
  
That's not to say he knew what to say (or do).  
  
The kid waved merrily, stepping out of the bushes.  
  
Sasuke, like Ino, waved back mutely.  
  
(Say something! Anything!) His mind screamed.  
  
"Hi." Sasuke settled.  
  
"Hi." The kid called back, coming closer.  
  
(So he talks! Say something smart!)  
  
"Hi." Sasuke said again.  
  
"Hi." The kid was even closer.  
  
"Hi."  
  
The kid laughed. "You're funny! I like you!"  
  
Sasuke let this soak in. "Hi." He said again.  
  
The Sunshine Boy was right in front of him, in all his blazing nude glory.   
  
"What are you doing?" The boy inquired.  
  
"I'm training to- could you put some clothes on or something, please?" Sasuke turned away.   
  
Sure, it was common for five year-olds to be okay with nudity, but Sasuke had a sense of shame  
  
put into him early on.  
  
"Clothes? What are 'clothes'?" The boy asked.  
  
(You've gotta be kidding me.)  
  
Curious, the boy walked around Sasuke, and stared directly into the dark haired boy's  
  
embarrassed face.  
  
(Argh! Do something!)  
  
Sasuke grabbed the other boy's hand, leading him into the house; into his bedroom, to his closet.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
  
While the sunny boy bounced on his bed, Sasuke busied himself looking for an outfit that  
  
his parents wouldn't mind him giving away. Probably the biggest problem was that most, if not  
  
all, of his clothes had the Uchiha Clan symbol on them, and he was pretty sure his parents  
  
wouldn't take too kindly to an uncivilized brat sullying their family's pride.  
  
(Unless...)  
  
A bursting sound, and feathers exploded everywhere.  
  
(Nope. Definitely not.)  
  
Sasuke sighed, then spotted an orange sleeve sticking out of a disused toy box. Tugging at it, he  
  
pulled out a one piece orange and blue jump suit that one of his aunts had given him. He had  
  
thought it was tacky, and hid it almost as soon as he received it, just so he wouldn't have to  
  
model it.  
  
"What is that? Ooh-! It's soooo cool!!!" Yelled a voice behind him.  
  
(Looks like I've found the perfect match.)  
  
- - - - - -   
  
Half an hour later, Sasuke found himself still struggling with the hyper kid, it seemed as soon as  
  
he helped the brat into underwear they'd be off as quick as a flash or worn as a hat.  
  
Exasperated, he pulled them off and shoved the kid back into them.  
  
Incorrigible, The Sunshine Boy jumped out of them.  
  
Frustrated, Sasuke let it slip out.  
  
"SUNNY!"  
  
Frankly, the other looked at him like he sprouted a new head.   
  
"Were you talking to me?" He asked, looking around to see if another person had joined him  
  
while they were playing.  
  
Sasuke reddened. So amazed that the kid could talk, it had never occurred to him that he might  
  
have a name as well.  
  
"Ah... ah... ah... I don't know your name..." He blanched.  
  
The Sunshine kid looked fit to burst. Doubling over and shaking, he looked like he was  
  
struggling to keep it in. Finally, he could hold it in no longer.  
  
"Ha ha ha ha! Sunny-?! Where did you get such a stupid name?!"  
  
Sasuke huffed in annoyance. "All the villagers call you 'The Sunshine Boy'. What else would I  
  
call you?"  
  
For once, the kid seemed to have a serious expression on his face. One hand tapped his chin,  
  
which Sasuke noticed had three prominent scars on each side, and the other probed his belly  
  
button, which had a peculiar spiral mark on it.  
  
"Wow. I didn't think anybody ever saw me."  
  
(Wha-? How dumb is this kid?)  
  
"But-but-" He had urinated right in front of Ino! Sat next to a legendary Sennin!  
  
He was putting on the underwear. THE CORRECT WAY.  
  
"So what's the big deal about these underwear things?" The blonde mushed his lips together in  
  
distaste. They were pretty constricting, and unlike anything he was used to. To someone who  
  
was used to a draft, this... non-draft... was pretty unpleasant.  
  
Before Sasuke could respond, the front made its familiar shunting noise as it opened and closed.   
  
His brother's voice called out.  
  
(Oh no! Itachi!)  
  
Quick as a wink, the boy found himself wearing the bright orange garment; Sasuke hurriedly  
  
pulling up the zipper.  
  
"Hey, this is cool!" He squealed joyously, patting at the various pockets and generally getting to  
  
know the feel of the cloth.  
  
Itachi walked in just as Sasuke sprang away.  
  
  
  
"Sasuke." The older stated, nodding his head.  
  
"Brother." Sasuke returned the formality.  
  
"So who's you friend?" Itachi looked the other kid up and down. Sasuke knew that look; it was  
  
the one their parents used that meant "WHY is this kid your friend and WHY is he in our home?"  
  
"He's... um... just visiting... to...eh..y'know... help me train...?" Sasuke hemmed and hawed.  
  
"Oh really? He doesn't seem all that familiar to me. And you know mother dislikes strangers in  
  
the house."   
  
Sasuke looked at his feet. "He's-"  
  
"I'm no stranger! We've met before! I'm Naruto, remember?" The Sunshine Boy broke in.  
  
"Huh?" Both siblings gaped.  
  
"I was with my father when you met me, remember?"  
  
Sasuke couldn't help but sheer silently. If there was one thing that Itachi hated, it was having  
  
something he'd forgotten pointed out.  
  
"...Yes... of course... Naruto..." Itachi smiled, eyebrow twitching the tiniest bit. Turning, he  
  
quickly exited the room.  
  
Sasuke let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.  
  
"Phew. Why to lie." He smiled.  
  
"I wasn't lying." Naruto smiled, still playing with his new threads. "I really was with my father  
  
when I met him. We were out in the forest."  
  
Sasuke stared. "And you name-?"  
  
"It really is Naruto."   
  
Sasuke wanted to ask more, but Naruto's head suddenly perked up, as if hearing something  
  
completely inaudible to everyone else.  
  
"Oh." His eyes shot open, brilliant blue. "My father is calling me!"  
  
Leaping out the window, Naruto bounded across the yard on all fours, easily scaling the large  
  
brick wall that surrounded the Uchiha Manor property.  
  
Sasuke slumped, at a loss, when the tussled blonde head peeked over the edge.  
  
"WANNA PLAY TOMORROW?!" The boy shouted.  
  
"SURE...NARUTO!" Sasuke called back, adding the name just to get the feel of it.  
  
He stood by his window even as the other boy disappeared again, and in the distance, he could  
  
have sworn he heard the barking calls of two animals.  
  
  
  
  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Holy guacamole! I've discovered one of the best methods of writing slapstick stories!! The trick  
  
to it is that YOU HAVE TO SMILE while writing it! Seriously, it sends good vibes or  
  
something!!  
  
  
  
I get the feeling that writing this story would go by faster if I had just payed more attention in  
  
typing class... 


	3. The Monkeyish Child

X X  
  
The power of the Pineapple compels you! (Or else-!)  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
  
In our previous episode:  
  
"WANNA PLAY TOMORROW?!" The boy shouted.  
  
"SURE...NARUTO!" Sasuke called back, adding the name just to get the feel of it.  
  
He stood by his window even as the other boy disappeared again, and in the distance, he could  
  
have sworn he heard the barking calls of two animals.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
  
The night went normally for the Uchiha family; dinner by seven, Sasuke in bed by eight,  
  
Itachi an hour later (even though he was already a chunin and a Sharingan user, he was still only  
  
ten), and their parents usually drifted off to bed by ten thirty.  
  
However, Sasuke couldn't sleep. The excitement of the day was still going strong, and he  
  
lay tossing and turning, hoping tomorrow would come sooner. Giving up, he made his way to  
  
the window Naruto had jumped through. Sitting on the frame, he spent a good deal of time  
  
staring out at Hokage Mountain  
  
Finally, he slipped into slumber, his back to the window frame and his face pressed  
  
against the glass.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
  
The next morning Sasuke woke with a sore back and a serious case of denial. Him?   
  
Meeting the Sunshine Boy? The Sunshine Boy actually having a name, and a weird one at that?  
  
Groggily, he started his daily Uchiha routine, which consisted of dressing in an outfit that  
  
looked exactly like the one he had worn the day before, washing, brushing hair and teeth, eating,  
  
then brushing teeth again.  
  
Absolutely BORING.  
  
(Boring, boring, BORING...) Sasuke's brain repeated like a mantra.  
  
Breakfast was usual. The inane chatter between the adults was the same topic as usual.   
  
His mother coyly asked Itachi if so-and-so was his girlfriend, and as usual, he winced, there was  
  
laughter, then back to the usual chatter.  
  
(Boring, boring, BORING...)  
  
Even his mother's teasing of Itachi was a routine performance. Why did everybody still  
  
laugh when it was probably done to death? Whatever.  
  
Of course, what else would complete a typical Uchiha morning than his brother breaking  
  
another promise by blowing him off? A flick to the head, and his brother was off. Usually,  
  
Sasuke would grumble about this to his parents, but today his mind was occupied with thoughts  
  
of a certain wild child with the name of Naruto.  
  
For a little while, he toyed with the idea of telling everyone.  
  
But on second thought, it would be better to keep his friendship a secret.  
  
His own secret, in fact. He'd never kept a secret of his own before. The mere idea  
  
thrilled him to the core, which only served to remind him just how boring his life really was.  
  
Which brings us back to:  
  
(BORING, BORING, BORING...)  
  
"Sasuke?"  
  
His head jerked up. By the look of his mother's face, she'd been calling him for a while.   
  
"If you don't hurry, you'll be late for school." She frowned. Since when did Sasuke  
  
space out? He was normally a very punctual person, which was strange for a five year old boy.   
  
Then again, her sons weren't typical boys, a fact that gave her pride and uneasiness at the same  
  
time.  
  
Argh! How had he forgotten about school? And today his class was learning how to  
  
summon chakra, something he had waited ages for. Oh well. School first, then he could finish  
  
off the day playing with Naruto.  
  
"And don't forget you have shuriken practice today." His mother deftly reminded him,  
  
ruining his plans.  
  
Once again, Argh!  
  
Murmuring his ritual goodbye, Sasuke pulled on his knapsack and headed out the door,  
  
growling internally. If he was a lesser man, he would have immediately chucked his school junk  
  
and run for the hills, or more specifically, run to a raucous blonde dumbnut.  
  
But he wasn't. (Sigh-)   
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Class went by interestingly enough. NOT. The usual teacher was absent, so Sasuke's  
  
class was stuck reviewing all the stuff leading up to summoning chakra, with extra emphasis on  
  
the boring stuff. The teacher's assistant, a man with a scar running across his nose whose name  
  
Sasuke didn't care to remember, stammered and mucked his way through the course.  
  
While the other kids snickered and giggled, Sasuke stared off into space. By chance he  
  
glanced out the window (which he was lucky enough to be seated next to), and saw Naruto  
  
nonchalantly stomping in a mud puddle left behind by the crappy school sprinkler system.  
  
SAY WHAT?!  
  
"Sasuke? Is there something out there that would interest the class?" For once the  
  
assistant didn't stammer, but his tone suggested a severe reprimand was just dying to be let out.   
  
Sasuke quickly turned his head while the other kids craned their heads to see what distracted the  
  
cool and calm Uchiha.  
  
(Please don't recognize him-! Please, oh, please don't recognize him-!) His mind moaned.  
  
"Aw- there's nothing there." Someone grumbled, and pretty soon everyone returned to  
  
their seats.  
  
Peeking slowly over his shoulder (when he shut his eyes he wasn't even sure), Sasuke  
  
saw absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. The school yard was as empty as ever, save for a lot  
  
of displaced mud. Not wanting to draw anymore attention than he already had, Sasuke continued  
  
to pretend to pay attention to class.  
  
"Psst.. Sasuke!"  
  
Snapped out of his reverie, Sasuke turned to the closest kid next to him.   
  
"What?" He whispered.  
  
Nara Shikamaru merely shifted in his seat and grunted, not waking up the slightest bit.   
  
Turning in his chair, Sasuke noticed that the people in his hearing range were either sleeping or  
  
about to drop off. None of them had called him, maybe he was hearing things.   
  
"Sasuke... over here!" Certainly he didn't imagine that! And it most definitely came  
  
from the window. Looking out, Sasuke saw no one in the yard.  
  
"No, up here!" The voice continued.  
  
Looking up, Sasuke cupped his hands over his mouth to keep from gasping in shock. An  
  
upside-down Naruto grinned back at him through the window, his gravity effected hair only a  
  
little spikier than usual. Glancing quickly at the instructor, Sasuke quietly shifted in his seat to  
  
see exactly how Naruto stayed in that position.  
  
As far as he could see, Naruto used no restraints or devices or even suction cups to stay in place.   
  
Rather, his feet seemingly magically sticking to the bottom of the roof overhang. The fact that  
  
Naruto could do that irked Sasuke, although he had no idea why.  
  
"So, wanna play now?" Naruto inquired, tilting his head in question.  
  
"Not now." Sasuke whispered through clenched teeth. Did that idiot want to be caught?  
  
"Sasuke? Are you feeling okay?" The assistant's voice cut in, jolting the young Uchiha.  
  
"Yessir." He squeaked.  
  
(Way to not be obvious, dummy.)  
  
The assistant gave him a funny look, then turned to the window. Once again Naruto had  
  
vanished from view.  
  
(Safe!)   
  
Turning back to Sasuke, the assistant didn't seem all that convinced. "Are you sure  
  
you're all right?" He frowned.  
  
"Yeah." Sasuke shrugged, feeling some of his confidence returning.  
  
"Then why haven't you gone out to lunch like everyone else?" Why not, indeed.  
  
Sure enough, a quick glance around the room revealed it to be absolutely empty except  
  
for the assistant and himself. Even the lazy Nara kid was gone. There goes that confidence.  
  
Picking himself off his chair, Sasuke shrugged and made his way out of the room. As  
  
soon as he shut the door behind him, he skedaddled as fast as he could up to the roof. As though  
  
he was a mind reader, Naruto stood waiting for him, his back facing Sasuke.  
  
Hoping to catch him off guard, Sasuke quietly crept up behind the blonde.  
  
"Can we play YET?" Naruto pouted, turning to face Sasuke just as he was preparing to  
  
surprise him.  
  
"Wha-? I can't! Not yet at least.." Sasuke let out in surprise. Naruto scowled and  
  
scrunched his eyes together, conveying his annoyance in any way possible.   
  
And before further word could be said, the bell signaled the end of lunch.  
  
"What?! How could lunch be over already?"  
  
"The other kids were out a loooong time before you came out." Naruto grumbled in  
  
annoyance.  
  
"Argh- Naruto, I'll play with you later, right now I have to be in school, okay?"  
  
Sasuke headed back down to his class room, leaving behind an unhappy Sunshine Boy.  
  
When Sasuke said later, he had really meant after school and his shuriken practice. What  
  
he definitely didn't intend was for Naruto to pop up every fifteen minutes asking if it was time to  
  
play. But at least it added some spark to an otherwise boring day of school.  
  
While walking from school to practice with a group of 'friends' (actually his fan club  
  
who just wouldn't leave him alone), Sasuke couldn't help but notice that Naruto followed at a  
  
distance over the rooftops of houses and businesses lining the streets of Konoha.  
  
Sasuke couldn't run over roof tops yet, and he was pretty positive his parents wouldn't  
  
allow him to even if he could.   
  
Yet another thing to be bothered by.  
  
During aim practice out in the forest, Naruto would pop up at the most inconvenient  
  
times. Once Sasuke was almost positive he had actually nicked Naruto's cheek, but no, he must  
  
have just barely missed (much to his relief) because Naruto was perfectly fine, although he did  
  
continuously squeal in outrage. Sasuke was just glad that because of the dangers of projectiles,  
  
each student was put on a separate field, insuring no one would discover Naruto.  
  
Finally, good gracious, finally Sasuke had the rest of the day to himself until dinner.   
  
After a quick stop at home to drop off his things, he ran back into the forest to his designated  
  
meeting spot with Naruto. There was a small lake that lay hidden among the trees that both boys  
  
knew of, so it was unanimously agreed to meet there.  
  
Upon arrival, Sasuke found the other boy no where in sight.  
  
"N-Naruto?!" He called. Figures. Just when Sasuke is able to play, Naruto decides to go  
  
off on his own.  
  
"UP HERE, SASUKE!" Roared a familiar voice above his head. Looking up, Sasuke  
  
had to crane his neck to see Naruto smirking above him, standing on a skinny, skinny branch that  
  
reached over the lake. Without warning, Naruto jumped like it was a diving board and dove into  
  
the lake. While Sasuke stood gaping, Naruto emerged a few seconds later with a large fish firmly  
  
held between his teeth.  
  
"Hngwy?" He bluttered, not letting go of the wiggling creature.  
  
(Chakra!) The one word popped into Sasuke's head. Only one other thing came to Sasuke's  
  
mind.  
  
"Teach me how to do that!" He shouted, startling himself.  
  
"What, how to fish? It's pretty easy, all you need is you teeth, really-"  
  
"No, no! Teach me how to use chakra! Sasuke interrupted before Naruto could go on.  
  
Huh?  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Wah-! I broke a finger, so this chapter writing is going slower than I normally do it! Wah wah-! I graduated high school! Wah wah wah-! I need a job to support a car that I don't want! (I'm happy being stuck in my rut, thank you very much.)  
  
Sniffle From what I understand, many people think this story is very cute... but in all honesty,  
I'd say the reviews are even cuter! Heh heh heh, fuh-NEE.  
  
Oh, and for those of you who noticed the wacked-out recap in the previous chapter, I put that in because the name Eclipse sounds like either a soap opera or one of those hard-core police TV dramas, doesn't it?  
  
Oh! Oh! Oh! One more thing! Starting around or after the next chapter, some time is going to  
pass. (It's because I'm getting antsy.) 


	4. The Intriguing Brat

.

Ahem:  
NarutoanditscastdoesnotbelongtomeyetbutitwillonceIruletheworld,whichshouldhappenrightabout.................  
..................now.

Whoa, there are actual signs of character development in this chapter!- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gather 'round friends, it's high time I told ye what happened in ye olde last chapter:

"Teach me how to do that!" He shouted, startling himself.

"What, how to fish? It's pretty easy, all you need is you teeth, really-"

"No, no! Teach me how to use chakra! Sasuke interrupted before Naruto could go on.

Huh?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Naruto frowned, wrinkling his nose. Sasuke just stared in rapt attention.

"Teach you how to do what-a-what?" He tilted his head in confusion. Sasuke restrained himself from banging his head against Naruto's in frustration. Really, how dense could the blonde be? He settled on slapping his own forehead instead. Injuring his brain wouldn't help him improve, as far as he knew. "I want you to teach me how to climb stuff without using my hands." Sasuke gestured just to further make his point clear.

Naruto looked up to the tree branch he had jumped off, then to the water he had climbed out of.

"But you don't want me to teach you how to fish?"

"NO."

"Are you sure? It's a lot more fun, and useful. You never know when you're gonna want fresh fish-"

"Naruto, I can eat fish whenever I want. There's tons of it frozen in my freezer at home and even more in stores."

"WHAT?! REALLY!?!" Naruto looked amazed at the very idea. This only served to irk Sasuke further. "Wait, but how is that even possible...?" The boy mused.

"Look, are you gonna teach me or not?"

"Okay, geez." Naruto threw his hands up in surrender. Walking to the tree, he put one foot on the bark, then the other, and stopped. "Well, follow me." He called, waving at Sasuke to hurry up.

"B-but HOW?"

"I dunno." Naruto shrugged. "Father only taught me by showing me. He's not much for explaining."

"Well, he had to have said something!"

The blonde stood horizontally, thinking back. "Well... uh..."

"...uh..."

"...um..." He sat in place, deep in thought. Sasuke felt like he was going to herniate a disc from the stress of annoyance, whatever that meant. But come hell or high water, he would not let this opportunity pass, even if his teacher was a blonde nimrod.

"If you can't remember what he said, tell me how you do it." He suggested.

"Oh!" Naruto snapped his fingers in sudden revelation. "Why didn't you say that sooner."

If Sasuke was a lesser man, he would have cried, broken down and strangled the other,  
then cried some more, preferably to his mama.

"Okay. Basically all you need to do is think of all your energy going to you hands, feet,  
whatever. Now follow me." Dubious, Sasuke closed his eyes and did as he was told... only to wake up five minutes later with a sore head and a worried Naruto looking down upon him.

"Ugh-"

"Are you okay? You walked a little bit on the tree so I thought you'd be okay, but then you totally fell on your head-"

Massaging the tingly spot on the back of his head, the young Uchiha suddenly looked surprised.

"Wait- You mean, I actually climbed up the tree? How far up did I get?"

Naruto gaped for a minute, then looked at the tree, as if trying to estimate how far Sasuke went. "I dunno, maybe a couple feet off the ground. Not really that high, otherwise you'd probably be hurt worse than that."

Grimacing, Sasuke gingerly stood, concentrating his chakra back to his feet. "Is there any trick to this?" He asked, turning to Naruto.

"Uh-" Upon seeing the murderous look on Sasuke's face, Naruto hastened to answer. "All I can say is concentrate, and don't let anything distract you, I guess."

Heeding Naruto's advice, Sasuke cleared his mind and charged up the tree.

And promptly fell back down.

So he tried again...

Only to have the same disastrous results.

Again and again and again and...

Boomf. Pow. Thud. Bamf.

Winded, he decided the best plan of action would be to take a break. But he would not give up, his pride as an Uchiha goaded him on. So Sasuke stayed in the last position he had landed on, staring a the cheerful sky and gasping for breath. Naruto, quiet for once, sat beside him.

"Sasuke, why-"

"Why what?" Sasuke snapped, unable to help himself out of irritation of his own failings.

Naruto flinched, his cheeks reddening.

"Why- why do you try so hard?"

The Uchiha couldn't help but think over this. Sure, the whole reason he had gotten into the ninja business was so he could prove himself worthy of the Uchiha family name. But at some point it had become more of a way to prove himself as a strong individual, strong enough to escape Itachi's long shadow.

"I guess I want to be as great as my brother, maybe even greater."

Naruto gave him a funny look, an odd gleam in his eyes.

"But then what? After you get stronger than him, what are you going to do?"

Now this was something new. Never once in his life had Sasuke thought about what would happen afterwards. Such new ideas were strange and foreign.

"I don't know..." A bright idea sparked in his head. "Hey, maybe I'll become Hokage!" He laughed.

Naruto just looked blankly at him.

"You do know what a Hokage is, don't you?"

"No idea!" Naruto admitted with a cheerful grin.

Sasuke didn't think twice about this, seeing as Naruto never wore clothes until they had met. He figured naked people were probably less educated than others. He pointed in the direction of the village, towards the mountains.

"A Hokage is the village leader. He protects us and is loyal only to us, just as we are loyal to him." Sasuke wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but he had heard stories about the previous Hokages and their sacrifices, and admired them greatly.

At the end of his short speech, Naruto immediately perked up, his eyes wide in amazement.

"Wow! That's almost exactly like what I'm going to be when I grow up!"

"Oh yeah? And what's that, smarty-pants?"

"A great protector!" Naruto exclaimed.

"But you're not enrolled in the Ninja Academy." Sasuke frowned.

"Well duh." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"You can't be the village leader without graduating from the academy." Naruto was good, but he wasn't THAT good.

"I never said I wanted to be a Hokage." Naruto huffed.

"But how could you be a great protector without being Hokage?" Sasuke was genuinely interested.

"Easy." Naruto smiled, wide and toothsome. "I'm in training to become a forest spirit! Then I'll protect all the land, from the plants and the trees to the animals and the people and even YOU, Sasuke!" He laughed, pride lacing his every word.

If this was any other situation, Sasuke would have scoffed, but the way Naruto looked-  
the way he had said it- He had known Naruto for little more than a day, but he already knew that Naruto meant every word that he spoke, and something about the way Naruto looked, with his head braced toward the sky and something powerful barely hidden behind his smile, told him to believe this strange, brash boy.

So he believed him.

"A forest spirit, huh?" Sasuke murmured after a while. "Are you any good at it?"

"I dunno. I haven't begun training yet." Naruto grinned, his eyes shrinking into that weird little squint.

"Then how do you know you'll be a great one?"

"I'm not sure. Actually, when I went home last night and told father about you, he announced that I'm going to start training soon."

"Is that so?"

"YEAH!" The blonde nodded vigorously, then stopped. "Everyone at home was really excited, because they've all been waiting for him to teach me, but I've been wondering why he decided so suddenly. Usually he thinks about this stuff for a long time, and he's no good at keeping secrets..."

"Maybe he wanted to surprise you." Sasuke suggested, shrugging.

"Maybe.." Naruto agreed, not looking convinced. "Anyways, let's get back to climbing! As soon as you reach that branch I was on before, I want you to jump off and walk on the water back onto land!"

"WHAT?! That's too hard!"

"That's why it's a challenge, duh, to get stronger!"

"Argh! You're a slave driver!"

"I don't know what that means, but just for that you have to do it five more times once you get it right!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That night Uchiha Sasuke came home sopping wet and covered in scrapes. His mother was naturally concerned, but silenced when a smiling Sasuke plopped a fresh fish on her counter.

Neither did she say anything as he exited the room to bathe and she prepared his catch for dinner. She would have been unusually silent through the meal as well, had she not come to a singular conclusion:

It must be a male Uchiha thing.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Sigh— My growing season is nearing its end. My leaves are starting to droop and -  
yyaawwwwwnnn- I'm slowing down. Since no one has luaus this time of year, I'm not getting as much exercise as usual. Maybe once Christmas and Thanksgiving come around I'll work up a sweat running from the cannery. 


End file.
